Why Me?
by Sytry's-cauldron
Summary: Leaving the house that morning I hadn't meant to end up dead. It just happened. But finding out exactly where I'd woken up? Man I shoulda just stayed dead. Why me? A Naruto SI/OC story, inspired by Catch Your Breath by Lang Noi and Dreaming of Sunshine by SilverQueen. (ON HIATUS)
1. Chapter 1

Look, dying wasn't on the agenda when I'd left the house that morning. I'd just wanted to grab some fucking milk and go home. But it seemed that fate would be against me on the matter.

I got mugged, I'm not going to go into detail on it because I'd rather not remember dying.

What? Did you think that I was just going to immediately tell you what happens when you die? Recount something that I have nightmares about just for your entertainment?

Fuck No. That ain't happenin' and if you don't like it. Fuck. Off.

Now that that little tangent is over and done with, surprise, surprise, I died. Then I woke up.

To be honest, when I woke up, I wasn't really aware of it, everything was blurry and nothing made sense. I didn't really understand where I was, the passage of time escaped me and I couldn't hold a thought together to save my life.

'Course that changed shortly, when the dark, enclosed area I'd found myself in started fucking squeezing me.

Ah, the wonders of childbirth. That shit was traumatising folks, I couldn't see anything, and there was noise for the first time in I didn't know how long. So I did what any sane person would do in this situation. I bawled my eyes out.

* * *

I didn't know how long it took for me to regain my senses, it seemed like an age before I was able to see anything with great detail. Of course the first thing I would see with this returned gift was a huge face. I am not ashamed to admit that I may have shit myself at waking up to see this sight.

Hey! If you saw a huge ass face in front of you, you'd also shit yourself, though it didn't help that I still couldn't control my bowels. The mortification.

" _Hello, my little Mariko._ " I didn't recognise a word coming out of the lady's, and if it wasn't a lady then holy shit this guy was pretty as fuck, mouth. I tried to tell her that I didn't understand her but all that left my mouth was a gurgle.

And that was how I understood that I was now a child, an infant to be exact.

Fuck me.

* * *

It didn't take long before I learnt that the woman I had first seen was my new mother.

I… didn't take it well to say the least.

For me, my mother was a short, chubby 5'4" woman, with dimpled cheeks, green eyes and long brown hair, not tall and lean, with raven hair and grey eyes.

I threw tantrums whenever she came near me, I was a child from hell. I knew that it wasn't her fault that instead of a normal, childish infant she'd gotten me, someone who literally remembered dying and then being born again. But I couldn't help myself.

I guess I didn't realise how badly my treatment of her affected her. It wasn't until I'd seen her crying quietly above me while I tried to sleep that I tried to change any of my behaviour.

It… probably wasn't the best way to go about it, but I stopped throwing tantrums in her presence completely. I cried a lot, but I did it quietly, when the moon hung high in the sky and the night was dark.

* * *

It took me a while to notice, but I'd never been visited by a male, maybe my father left after discovering my new mother was pregnant? It wouldn't be the first time that such a thing had happened.

I threw the thought from my mind with new-mother, and I really have to find a better name for her don't I? Arrived, I let a small smile appear on my face and gestured towards her in the universal, 'I want to be picked up.' motion.

Complying with my unspoken request she lifted me into her arms, " _Ah, Mari-chan, soon you will be too large for me to carry you,_ " through the time I had spent in this new world I had learnt some of the new language, though I had yet to show my new-mother any mastery over this new tongue.

Though, perhaps… perhaps it was time. " _Mama._ " And thus, my first words were spoken.

I hadn't expected her to immediately burst into tears and hold me tightly, I winced, too tightly against her chest.

Awkwardly I pet her arms, " _Mama…._ "

And with that I decided to accept this new chance at life. I'd never forget my past life and the friends and family I'd had in that life… but I would move forward.

It's not like I could have gone back anyway.

Word Count: 782

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 **So New Story, I'm really inspired right now so I'll probably belt out a new story every so often. Anyway tell me what you think in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

It took me a while to realise where I was.

And when I did, I really wished I hadn't.

I would've been 6 months old when the Kyuubi attack happened. I'd only said my first words a week before it happened.

I wasn't asleep when it happened, somehow I just knew something was going to happen. I'd had a bad feeling all day, something twisting in my stomach and causing me great irritation.

Then it happened. A great pressure appeared and pressed down on me. I was terrified. I couldn't scream, couldn't breathe, couldn't move a muscle. Everything around me was a white blur and everything was too much and, at the same time, not enough.

Silent tears trailed down my cheeks and for the first time I desperately wanted my mother to come find me, to usher my tears away, gentle fingers soothing my fear away.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the presence disappeared. Even after it was gone, I couldn't bring myself to move, or scream, or do anything a baby would do, should do after something like that. And that was how I remained until finally, thankfully I passed out.

* * *

Waking up again was a chore.

Blearily opening my eyes I was so thankful that my mother was alive. Her normally calm and collected visage was ruined, hair in disarray and her eyes were filled with tears as she cradled me to her chest.

" _Oh, my darling child, my only daughter,_ " Pulling me closer she sobbed, voice cracking and sorrow evident in every motion, " _Thank Kami-sama that you survived._ "

I soaked up the comfort she offered like a sponge, unashamedly trying to snuggle closer. Never before had I been so glad that someone was there, there to hold me and protect me. I swore to myself that I'd never treat my new-mother, and that's what she was, my mother, with anything less than respect and love from now on.

* * *

That new promise, yeah it didn't last. I was never any good at keeping my word in my last life either.

However, I had succeeded in being a more, calm child, more open with my affection at least.

My mother seemed relieved at this, I think she was happy at my change, surprised, certainly but happy nonetheless.

Thankfully our apartment was relatively unharmed during the Kyuubi attack, and it was while the reparations were being done to our house that I finally met my new father.

Admittedly our first meeting was not…substantial. I was only a few months old, and he was run ragged by the missions he'd had to run non stop in order to prove Konoha was not weakened by the Kyuubi attack.

I awoke to someone holding me, gently rocking me in the darkness. It was startlingly clear that it was not my mother who was holding me. For one the face looking down at me was nothing like my mother's lean and gentle face.

His eyes were a startling amber that almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the room, he startled when he saw that I'd awoken.

" _Hello my little flower… I know we haven't met before, but I'm your Tou-san._ " Deciding to play up the cute child card, I gurgled, waving my arms in front of me.

A gentle smile spread across his features and his eyes softened, " _I'm sorry that I haven't been here for you…_ "

I hadn't been aware that my mother had entered the room until her voice had rung out, filled with authority that I'd never heard from her before, " _Haruto. What are you doing here?_ "

" _Can I not visit my child, Himari?_ " He still held me to his chest, even as his shoulders tensed, I had no idea what was going on, but the air was tense, pressing down on the occupants of the small room.

" _You. Left._ " She sounded hurt, as though she were barely holding herself together, but there was rage there too. Betrayal by the sound of things.

" _You know I didn't want to, but the Clan…!_ "

The argument sounded old, like it'd been had a thousand times before.

" _You promised me._ " The words were broken,

" _The Clan will want to have her,_ "

" _They can't. I won't let them._ " A sigh left his lips and he placed me back into my crib. " _Himari. They won't take no for an answer. You know how they are. Even if you have separated from the clan, they will still take any children you bear._ "

A wounded noise left my mother as she approached, gently caressing my face, dainty hands running up and down my cheeks. " _I can't…. Please… I can't lose her… she's all I have left._ "

" _I'm sorry Himari….If there were another way, I would-_ "

" _Don't! Just. Don't._ "

Tears rose, unbidden, in my eyes. What was going on?

I finally understood when the man, Haruto, lifted me up again and started walking out of the apartment.

I screamed. I wailed. I cried as I was taken away from my mother, the person who'd put up with all my tantrums and had loved me, relentlessly through it all. I didn't want to go.

But I didn't have a choice.

Word Count: 867

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 **And that's a wrap on Chapter 2, I'm taking suggestions for which clan it should be on my profile, so please go ahead and vote on it, be aware I might not take into account the polls when I make my final decision on the matter, See you later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

I think back to that day a lot. The day where I was taken from my mother by my father. Could I have done something? Changed it in some way? Found a way to stay with her?

Being essentially locked in a room with nothing to do but think over my new situation left a lot of time for what-ifs and maybes.

Alas I wasn't left to my wallowing alone, even though my new father could only visit sporadically, he didn't waste much time trying to acclimate me to my new situation.

It was…grating, to say the least.

I tried my best to make all of this completely horrible for him, I ignored his presence, started crying if he tried to hold me, refused any form of affection he tried to bestow upon me.

It wore on him, I could tell. Dark bags had gathered underneath his eyes and it seemed there was a permanent furrow in his brow whenever he looked at me. I felt vindicated.

He'd taken me from all I'd ever known and had my mother cry. I couldn't forgive him for that. No matter the fact that I'd made it very clear, or as clear as a 5? 6? 7? I didn't know, Month old child could, that I didn't hold much affection for him, he still tried.

And maybe that was what made me warm up to him. It was gradual, but eventually the constant worrying became less stifling, and more…I don't know, exasperating?

Regardless of how I felt on the matter, my growing fondness of my father was still outweighed by the absolute fury I still felt towards him.

I think I have issues. Mum issues to be exact.

Shit.

)()()(

With the constant worrying of my father, it was surprisingly easy for me to learn how to walk. He helped me every step of the way. He actually started crying. It was embarrassing.

" _Come here, Riko-chan! Come to Tou-san!_ " The constant babbling as I tried to assume control of my legs was not helpful and I couldn't help sending a baleful glare at his crouching form on the other side of the room. Had I mentioned that my first steps had been 2 days ago? Yeah, this was going to get old very quickly.

Slowly, ever so slowly I focused on moving my leg forward, carefully putting my body weight on it when I felt confident it could hold my weight. Then again. And again. And again.

This was exhausting.

Deciding I'd had enough, I plopped my ass down, " _Food._ " This had been the only word I'd spoken in his presence. Just…'Food' it was the only word I wanted him to know I could say. Call it what you want but I only wanted my mum to hear me speak. She was the only one who deserved that from me.

My dad gave an exasperated sigh, " _Maa, Mariko-chan…_ " Once he'd left to prepare some baby-food, which was disgusting if you didn't know, I rolled onto my stomach, mind set on leaving this goddamn room.

There was only so many times I could count the tatami mats before I would go insane.

So mission: Get Out of the Room was go, otherwise known as Mission: G.O.R. Sue me, I wasn't good at naming things.

I hadn't thought this through at all. Wiggling like a snake to get there was a bust. It brought me a few inches closer and I was way too exhausted to try crawling.

And that was how my father found me, lying, exhausted and filled with rage a metre or so from the door. Curse this weak body.

I missed being able to walk everywhere. And not having to us Diapers. And walking. And good food. And my computer. Did I mention walking?

" _Ah! Riko-chan! What are you doing there?_ " Glaring up at him from the floor, I wasn't surprised that he lifted me into his arms, cuddling me close and cooing about how cute I was.

Goddamn I hated this. The affection. It was too much, considering my previous family was not as physical in their affection, this new affection was a shock to the system to say the least.

Something threw me off for a while. Even while being fed by father.

I only realised it after I'd been put to bed.

I'd referred to my family, as my previous family.

I wouldn't have been able to hold in the sobs if I tried. They wracked my body, as though my anguish was trying to jerk its way out of me. Tears dripped down my cheeks and my face felt hot.

How could I have forgotten, even for a while? I didn't want to forget them. They were my Family. My everything. And I'd tossed them aside as though they weren't worth my time.

Desperately I conjured up what little I remembered of them. My mum, short brown hair, dimples, eyes the colour of emeralds, and a short stature. My brother, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, mum's nose, we shared the same face shape.

I stayed there for a long time. Crying, trying to remember what my family looked like, what my friends looked like.

I couldn't remember what I looked like. And that hurt far more than I thought it would. My new father tried to comfort me through it all, calling my name, begging me to tell him what was wrong.

But any comfort he tried to offer was pushed away.

I didn't deserve it. His comfort. His affection. His love. That was supposed to be directed at his daughter, a child. A proper child. Not this…this body snatcher of a girl.

Had I killed her? Killed her in a selfish bid for self-preservation? Had I murdered an innocent child to steal her body and her life?

What was this? Some huge cosmic joke? Did some god decide that they wanted to have fun and had thrust me into this hell-hole of a life for their own amusement? What had I done to deserve this? I had been a good student, I'd handed in assignments on time, I'd helped others when they'd asked, I'd been polite.

I'd been kind to others, even when I was too tired to be kind to myself. I'd been, if not a good person, an alright person.

How had my mum reacted to my death? Had she cried? Cursed the world for taking her baby from her? How was she? Was she OK? I'd argued with her, but it was undeniable we'd loved each other deeply.

Had my brother wept for me? He'd always been bad at expressing his feelings? Had he wondered if he could've done something? Had he regretted all the little things we'd done that had annoyed the other and caused arguments?

And my friends. How had they reacted? Had they moved on? Hurt but knowing that I wouldn't want them to dwell? Had Marie finally slipped? Had my death caused hers too?

God it was all my fault. If I had just been smarter, faster, if I had been capable of moving when the asshole who killed me had raised his gun. Would it have changed anything?

I didn't deserve this life. To have taken it from a girl who could've lived and breathed and been alive. God it hurt so much I couldn't bear it.

Forgive me, I beg of you.

Word Count:

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 **So this got very angsty, sorry all. But I feel that Mariko needed to reflect on everything, it's all been very jarring for her.**

 **Thanks to all who've followed and favourited this story!**

 **As always please leave a review in the comments telling me what you think Mariko should do next!**

 **Have a nice day ~Sytry**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

After my little breakdown, my father was even more reluctant to allow me time to myself.

It was hard.

Hard to even begin moving past everything that had happened. One doesn't exactly expect to wake up after they die. And I had.

Woken up after I'd died, that is.

I hadn't allowed myself to contemplate what had happened to me, too caught up in, 'holy shit, I'm alive,' to even begin to care about other people. If that made me selfish, so be it. But I wasn't going to take this new life for granted.

When I wasn't Mariko, I had never had a strong resolve. I'd bent easily to the whims of others, ever a people pleaser. But… in this world, I couldn't afford to be like that. I couldn't afford to bend, to let myself be walked over.

So, I decided then and there, that I was going to be strong. Both in body and in mind.

* * *

My first *real* birthday came with little fanfare. I hadn't realised it was my birthday, but since when had I paid attention to dates? I'd always been horrible at them anyway.

It was there that I was first introduced to anybody else in the clan.

"Mariko-chan, this is my mother, your Obaa-san."

It was far easier to understand the new language, immersion and all that. But still, to finally catch a glimpse of the outside world was not a chance I would throw away.

"Alright Tou-san." The words still felt off in my mouth, tongue twisting in ways I still wasn't accustomed to.

She wasn't as old as I'd expected. She had short brown hair, but that wasn't the first thing I'd seen on her features. She had two red fangs on either cheek, and slit eyes.

This… was surprising to say the least.

I had known that I was in a clan, the fact that I'd been removed from my mother's care enough to clue me in on that fact. But an Inuzuka? Really?

Admittedly I had been fond of dogs in my past life, but I'd always felt cats were more graceful, less cumbersome. But I guess fate had other plans for me.

"So, this is yours and Himari's brat, right?" Tou-san chuckled awkwardly, hand rising to sheepishly rub the back of his neck.

"Yes, Okaa-san… this is Mariko-chan, my daughter, it's her birthday today," looking up at her, I lifted a hand in greeting, "Yo."

What can I say? I was a bit lost for words and it was the first thing that came to mind.

I'd like to say I expertly hid the embarrassment I felt at my first greeting towards my Obaa-san, but that would be a lie.

The longer I held myself in position, and the longer she continued to stare at me, the hotter my face grew.

I'm quite sure by the end of our impromptu staring contest I was bright red. Not the best first impression, I'll admit.

A feral grin grew on my Obaa-san's face, "I like her," her eyes shifted from me to my Tou-san, "She has spunk."

Kneeling down in front of me she spoke again, "Brat, I'm your Obaa-san. I'll be taking care of you when my idiot son can't."

"Okaa-san!" The offended tone cracked me up and I started laughing.

Tou-san gaped at me, his face filled with betrayal, "Betrayed! By my own daughter!" Over dramatically he lunged towards me, "I must have my vengeance!"

Nimble fingers ran up and down my sides and I shrieked in laughter. "Tou-san! Stop! Please!" The fingers slowed, "Well, since you asked so nicely, Riko-chan," short giggles left my mouth as I gasped, breathlessly for air.

Huffing in amusement, Tou-san grinned down at me, sharp canines exposed, "Happy second birthday, Mariko-chan."

I was two years old today. That was a startling revelation, I hadn't realised how long I'd been in this place, but two years… and I hadn't done too badly I don't think. I directed a smile back up to Tou-san, "Thank you, Tou-san!"

Having forgotten our guest in our amusement, a snort interrupted our merriment. "Haruto… " sorrow slipped into Tou-sans eyes.

"I know, Okaa-san."

Reverently, Tou-san's fingers traced my face, as though trying his hardest to imprint the memory into his mind.

"... Tou-san…?"

I didn't like how my voice quivered. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't want to be seperated from my Tou-san. It took awhile for me to warm up to him at first, but I had grown to love him. I didn't want him to leave.

"I'm sorry, Mariko-chan, but Tou-san has to go now," He always had to go and he always said goodbye, but this felt more final. Like he knew something I didn't about this mission he was going on.

Tears gathered in the corner of my eyes, something was going on and I didn't know what and it was grating on me. I had all this knowledge of the Narutoverse but I was powerless.

Pressing a kiss to my forehead and gifting me a bright smile he began to walk away.

"Tou-san… Tou-san! Don't go! No!" The tears finally slipped out of my eyes, and I cried out for him to come back, to stay, at least for a little while more, to come back to me.

"Brat! Your Tou-san has to go serve the village and the clan so cease your whining!" Despite the harsh words Obaa-san's arms were gentle as they pulled me up. Obediently my cries stopped, but sobs still fell out of my open lips.

That night I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

Obaa-san was Not a good guardian I concluded within one day of being looked after by her. She woke me up by pouring water on me. Me. Someone who had only yesterday turned two. Water.

Predictably I had sputtered out insults. It didn't end well.

For me.

Yeah, Obaa-san was scary… shivers ran up my spine as I regarded her warily across the dining table.

"Oh, calm down, brat! It was just a little water."

'Freezing water.' I though, mutinously, glare deepening. On auto-pilot I began to shovel food into my mouth.

"Brat," forcing my attention back to her, my glare dropped as her expression was serious, "today we'll be heading down to the kennels." Joy grew in my chest, would I be getting a ninken? Oooh what would he or she look like? What should I name him or her?

So lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the chopstick heading for me until it was too late. Rubbing my forehead, bad mood back in full effect, I glared. Stupid old lady ruining my fun.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD BRAT?!"

Oops.

Word Count: 1117

* * *

 **So new chapter, I'm trying to increase the amount in each chapter, so tell me if you think I should keep it around this length or increase it. Please note that increasing the chapter length means slower updates. Shorter Updates means quicker chapters.**

 **As always, please review in the comments, also feel free to ask questions there too! I enjoy reading your feedback!**

 **~ Sytry**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Walking alongside my newly-discovered Obaa-san, I got my first glimpse of the clan compound.

It was very Japanese in style, I snorted quietly, amused by my own idiocy. I spoke 'Japanese' and was surprised that the architecture was Japanese in style as well. God was I smart.

My eyes roamed all over the place, taking in the clan members. Some were playing with their ninken, others were chatting and laughing boisterously. But some, some were sparring.

I couldn't take my eyes off them, they moved with purpose, no step unaccounted for. It was a dance. A beautiful, feral dance.

"Like what you see, brat?" Nodding quietly I was tempted to stay there and watch, "They're Shinobi. Do you know what Shinobi are?" I shook my head, "They fight for the village, your Tou-san is a shinobi, as am I."

I wanted to stay for a while longer, but Obaa-san said that we were wasting time.

Arriving at the kennels, they weren't too dissimilar from what I imagined they'd be like. Dogs. So many dogs. I fell in love instantly.

Being tackled by two puppies as soon as I entered I knew this was a good way to go. Covered in slobber and being smothered in the affection of two animals.

Unfortunately my second death was put on hold when the two puppies were removed from my person by a harried looking Inuzuka. Like the rest of the clan she had brown hair, tied into a spiky ponytail, the same dark eyes and two red triangles on her cheeks.

"Ah-! Kogarashi-san!" She fell into a quick bow, noticing me she smiled softly, "Ah, hello to you as well!"

On autopilot I bowed back, awkwardly, "Hello, I'm Mariko," Blinking in surprise she smiled again, brightly.

God it was like looking at the sun. "Hello, Mariko-chan, my name is Hanako, it's nice to meet you."

Turning her attention back to Obaa-san, she held the two puppies in her hands, "Apologies, Kogarashi-san, Akimaru and Harumaru were misbehaving again," Obaa-san shot a grin of her own at Hanako, "It's no problem, Hanako-san, Pups will be pups," Hanako frowned down at the two pups.

"True… but they've never misbehaved before…"

'It's not that! But that smell!' Another voice 'The smell! She smells nice!'

I shit you not. There were voices in my head. Voices. In the head. That doesn't sound good.

"Just because she smells good doesn't mean you can smother her! Akimaru! Harumaru!" Hanako-san's voice cut through my existential crisis, before I stilled. If she was saying that in reply to the voices that I'd heard… then that meant I wasn't insane!

Go me! I wasn't quite insane yet!

"She smells nice, you say?" Obaa-san's voice interrupted my miniature victory dance, "What did she smell like, pups?"

Again the voices spoke again, 'Like home!'

And that was my first introduction to my ninken. Akimaru and Harumaru.

Akimaru had had orange, fur no wonder where he got the name from, whereas Harumaru had brown fur. I adored them both.

Even though I still preferred cats.

* * *

Unfortunately even though Hanako-san and Obaa-san had declared that both Akimaru and Harumaru had bonded to me, I was still far too young to properly raise them. Seemed the Inuzuka only allowed their children to properly train and bond with their ninken when they were deemed old enough to properly take care of them by the clan and by the ninken's mother.

Obaa-san had me started on training shortly after. Stretches, writing, reading, etc. I was so happy to finally be able to read again, in my last life I'd been a huge bookworm, I'd filled my bookcase with so many books that I'd had to store them in my closet as well.

It hurt to realise that I'd never read them again.

All of this threw me on the loop emotionally. Obaa-san didn't stand for my bullshit though, she demanded I throw my everything into, well, everything.

"Mariko-chan, this is the kanji for your name, what does it mean?"

The symbols stared back at me, 茉 _ma_ 莉 _ri_ 子 _ko_ , I'd only ever read or written my name in hiragana, ま り こ, Mariko, my name.  
"I'm sorry, Obaa-san… I don't know," A wry smile crossed her features, I didn't like the look on her face. It was tired and made her look older than her years.

"It means Jasmine child, figures your mother would name you after herself… " I didn't think I was supposed to hear that last part.

"Ah...Obaa-san… what was my mother's name?" I almost regretted asking when her face became blank.

Quickly, I turned away, copying the kanji in front of me, writing my name down, over and over and over and over again.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. They'd taken me from my mother. Of course they wouldn't want me to know of her. Unbidden tears came to my eyes, blurring my vision until I could barely see my hand moving in front of me.

"... Brat… " Tilting my head and using my hair as a shield, I hid my tears from my Obaa-san, "Brat. Look at me." Carefully I looked at her from under my eyelashes.

A sigh left her mouth as she stood. "Your mother's name is Himura, Himari. That's all you need to know about her." I could almost hear the silent 'for now.'

I nodded to show I understood.

"That's all for now. Come." Standing slowly, I approached her cautiously, rolling her eyes she grabbed my hand, "Relax Brat, I'm not going to bite your head off for being curious about your mother."

Glancing up I was surprised to see her looking away from me, an expression of embarrassment on her face, "I just… didn't expect you to remember her. Sorry."

And that was that I guess. She never brought it up again.

I was… relieved that she wasn't angry at me.

* * *

I hadn't hid any of the maturity or intelligence of my previous life. I'd thought about it, but honestly, I couldn't handle dampening down my intelligence, I would've died of boredom long before any of the shit that went down in Naruto actually happened.

This had consequences that I hadn't anticipated.

For instance, since I'd positively smashed through the regular material, I was being brought in front of the clan head to debate whether or not I was mature enough to learn about shuriken and kunai and clan jutsu's, years ahead of others. Crap.

I was three. And they were thinking of training me to learn how to be a killer, a murderer, a shinobi.

I don't know what I'd expected. Konoha was a military dictatorship. They needed as many shinobi as they could get to make sure that the balance of power remained as it was. To maintain peace between all 5 nations.

If there was one thing I liked about the Inuzuka, it was that they weren't all that formal. 'Course Elders were elders, but apparently Tsume-san and her predecessors were very much had a 'we're a family first. Team-mates, clan, village' was very much their train of thought.

My meeting went a little bit like this:

"So you're pretty smart, huh?"

"I've been told Tsume-sama"

"Bah! Call me Tsume-san! I'm not that old yet!"

"As you wish Tsume-san"

"Do you want to learn about the Shinobi arts, Mariko-chan?"

The question had caught me off guard. I hadn't anticipated that I'd have a choice with this matter.

I thought hard about my decision. This could have huge consequences for the future, my future, with all the shit that was going to go down in the future, my best bet would be to get strong. Strong so I would be able to protect myself.

It was inherently selfish, the decision I made. I knew Obaa-san would disagree, she wanted me to be a child, at least for a bit. But I knew in my heart, that I'd come to my decision on this weeks ago.

I was going to be a shinobi.

"Yes, Tsume-san."

And with that. I sealed my fate.

* * *

Shinobi training was hard. My body was pushed harder than I thought it capable of, my hands became calloused and littered with small scars, my body ached and I considered giving up many times.

Ultimately I hadn't. And now here I was, at the tender age of 5 about to enter the academy. Through my training I'd met the 4 other Inuzuka who would be entering with me, there was Shouji, Masako and Suzume, all were 3 years my senior.

Although I had blasted ahead on the academic side of things, I was still far weaker than my clanmates, the drawbacks of being younger than all of them. However, I fought smarter, not harder, so in most taijutsu matches, I came out on top a reasonable amount of the time.

To be honest… I wasn't well-liked in the clan. My mother was an outsider and as open as the Inuzuka clan was, my mother had left my father once she'd discovered she was pregnant, then hidden me from her. To top it all off, I was considered off. I wasn't childish enough, too adult, too different. It hurt. To be rejected, even if I hadn't wanted to be there in the first place.

Obaa-san helped, but she was one against many. It took a lot to not scream about how unfair they were being. I couldn't control my mother's reaction regarding my existence. It wasn't my fault that I was different.

That was why I'd concluded that I was going to graduate as early as I could. I loved my Obaa-san but I couldn't stand to stay in the compound. Even though I was alone, I was always alone.

My eyes roamed over the new students as we all waited for the Hokage to make his entrance speech. I picked out the clan shinobi, Hyuuga, Uchiha, Aburame, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka. Jeez, I never realised how many clan kids there were.

As the Hokage began his speech, I snapped my attention back to him, pushing the thoughts of other people out of my head.

All in all it was exactly what I expected it to be, 'the will of fire', 'protect Konoha', 'show pride and honour', etc. etc. As sad before, exactly what I expected.

Listening out for my name I followed obediently after the chuunin instructor. Filing into the classroom, I took a seat at the window, avoiding the back of the classroom like the plague, it was most likely that a bunch of clan-kids would claim that spot. No need to antagonise anyone by taking that spot.

A boy slid into the seat beside me, a nara by the looks of it, even though he looked like he was about to fall asleep, I could see the intelligence glimmering in his eyes.

"Nara Shirai… " Glancing towards him, I gave him a small nod, "Inuzuka Mariko." And that was that.

The first was just that, a first day. The teacher introduced himself and had us take a quick test so he could see where we were. Standard stuff.

Looking down at the test papers in front of me, my eye twitched. The thing was about twenty pages long. So much for 'standard entrance test.'

A weary sigh left my mouth and I flipped over the first page.

I filled out the first 6 pages with ease, barely had to do anything to pass them. The following pages proved to be far harder, with the fifteenth being at least university level. Completing the sheets to the best of my ability, I flipped them over and tried to sleep.

It wasn't until later that I realised that filling almost the entire thing out could have… unwanted side-effects.

Word Count: 1955

* * *

 **So that concludes Chapter 5.**

 **Machiko is finally in the Academy! Yay! I kinda want her to graduate early. Tell me who you think her team-mates should be or if she should be apprenticed by someone! I'll put a poll up for it!**

 **As always, leave a review in the comments telling me what you liked and what you didn't! I'll probably add another short drabbles series connected to this one with things that I may or may not add into this one at a later date!**

 **Have a nice day! ~ Sytry**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

Leaving the academy, I wasn't surprised to find Obaa-san there, gazing at me, she offered her hand, a wordless demand that I happily complied with.

"How was your first day?" Glancing up, my eyes widened slightly, I knew she'd been disapproving, but she seemed like the person to make it well-known of her ire.

"... it was alright," my voice was hesitant, certain that she would be having _words_ with me at a later date.

"Good, that's good,"

The rest of the walk to the clan compound was filled with a tense silence.

* * *

When we'd finally arrived back at the compound, Obaa-san hadn't wasted time in quietly interrogating me more thoroughly on the matter of school. It was… nice to be worried over.

Once the impromptu interrogation was complete a world-weary sigh escaped her chest and she gazed down at me, "I was afraid this would happen…" she didn't elaborate past that and that night I went to bed feeling like the weight of the world was on my slim shoulders.

* * *

Kogarashi hid the heartache when she'd seen her granddaughter leave the room. She knew that it would end like this, curse that woman and her foolishness.

She'd always thought that her son, her baby was too good for her, and she was proven right too. To hide a child from the Inuzuka? Foolish.

She couldn't hate the child though, strange though she may have been. Her granddaughter was an odd one, too mature, too different. But she loved her anyway.

Opening the eyes she hadn't realised she'd closed, she steeled her resolve. She wouldn't allow harm to come to her precious granddaughter.

* * *

The Academy was boring, to say the least. Everything that they gave me was too easy, the advantage of remembering her own struggles through university. I easily took the top score in academics, though I felt more like a cheat, no-one else had the knowledge of a 24 year old former University student.

It caused a lot of strife between me and my classmates, again I was ostracized, at least in this, Shouji, who was in the same class as I, stood by me. The clan must seem united after all.

I tried to show my appreciation, and he seemed to realise this, the animosity that had risen between us edged down and I hesitantly called the relationship between us… friendly.

Taijutsu in class was… easy. I don't mean to brag, but for my age I was holding myself well, placing a respectable 7th on the class score. I wasn't the best, but I was far from the worst.

So I guess that's why I wasn't surprised that I was pushed into classes ahead of my age even further.

My new class was just as welcoming as my last one, which was to say, not at all. They all seemed to resent the fact that I was younger than them, most of the clan kids seemed to at least respect the fact that I was able to advance, but the civilian born? They hated my guts. It didn't help that I regularly won against them all. The civilians, that is. Even though they'd been taught the basic Academy style, clan training was more than enough to make sure I didn't lose against the civilian children too much.

The clan born children were a different matter, I lost against them far more, but I was still able to pull a few wins. I wasn't like them, it took effort to make sure that I didn't fall behind too much. But with every loss I learnt, and everytime I lasted longer in a spar, I knew that I was getting stronger.

Didn't stop me from almost giving up when it seemed too much though.

Everything in this new life was hard. My body ached constantly, I was sore in places I didn't know could get sore.

Since I'd been deemed old enough to understand and learn the clan's Taijutsu the lessons I already had increased. Yeah. I was irritated too. I understand that the village needed to churn out new Ninja so that they could replace those lost in the Kyuubi attack, but I still resented the fact that they were pushing me to be better, stronger, faster.

The Taijutsu of the Inuzuka clan was… strange for lack of a better word. It was feral, yet graceful, filled with jerks and what felt like unnatural twists, yet smooth, flowing from motion to motion.

It was invigorating.

I'd never felt more alive then when I used this Taijutsu. It was where every move was worth the energy expended, every subtle shift, a silent cue for engagement. I loved it.

I was well on the way to graduating from the Academy, according to Obaa-san my skills were coming along nicely. She expected I'd graduate by the time I became 8. Even as she spoke those words towards me I could tell that she wanted to hold me back. To let me be a kid, a child for a little while longer. I didn't know how to tell her that I'd never really been a kid.

I hadn't been idle, in the time I'd been in the Academy, although the memories of my past life were fading rapidly. Learning how to sense Chakra was weird, I was in no way a natural at it. Sensing Chakra was near impossible for me, I could barely sense my own chakra, moulding it was easy, once I willed it to move through my body it was far easier to sense, but I couldn't even begin to apply it to other people.

It was frustrating. So I gave up and decided sensing wasn't for me.

Even if it was a really OP ability.

* * *

As much as I tried not to show it, the lack of positive relationships in the Academy was hurtful. I knew it wasn't good to deny the fact that I craved positive relationships outside of my Obaa-san and my still absent Father.

Whenever I tried to become involved in their games, they'd make it explicitly clear that I most definitely wasn't invited to hang out or play the popular game of Ninja with them.

"Obaa-san… why don't people like me?"

The question hung in the air, and the silence seemed to drag on for an eternity before she set her tea cup down and turned to me to answer my question.

"... Why do you ask?"

Irritation flared through me, "Because nobody in my class will play with me during the breaks."

"Why do you think they dislike you?" What was this? A soul-searching session?

"Because I'm younger than them, yet am in the same class as them…?" I hate to say it, but I really wasn't sure of why they didn't like me. Sure I was younger than the others, but I tried to be friendly, unfortunately my attempts were based on my own, limited exposure to others in my previous life.

In my last life I'd had a small group of friends who were only friends because we'd found that it was easier to pair together than have the teacher assign us groups. Most of the people I'd hesitantly classed as friends, I'd met through my brother and they were more his friends than mine.

My Obaa-san's voice cut through my thoughts, "Mariko," I startled, rarely did she call me by my given name, "The reason they treat you they way they do, is because you are different." Sitting up, I started to object, but her stare stopped me in my tracks.

"It is not bad to be different, Mariko, but they simply do not know how to interact with someone who is younger, yet far more mature than they are." Kneeling in front of me, Obaa-san cradled my face in her calloused hands, "You are far more mature than most in your class, Mariko." Her eyes were dark, glinting in the dying rays of the sun, "It will take some time for them to catch up."

Standing, she returned to her tea.

The conversation was over.

And I… I think I understood her.

* * *

Word Count: 1351

 **So Chapter 6 here, Mariko's slowly forgetting her past-life, it's likely she'll have to write it down at some stage!**

 **As always please leave a review telling me what you think! Seeing them gives me a helluva lot more motivation to continue with this thing.**

 **ATTENTION!** **I do have a Poll up on my profile about what Mariko's future should look like! I'd really like to have your opinions on the matter!**

 **Have a great day! ~ Sytry**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Even though I think I understood Obaa-san's words, it didn't really help my situation at all. Children were children, and children could be cruel. Especially to those they deem different.

It was as I was going through the Academy library that I found some scrolls that had clearly been left alone for quite some time. Gently dusting them off I carefully pulled them out of the small compartment they had been hidden in.

The scrolls had certainly seen better days, the edges were worn and the paper had a slightly yellow tint. Carefully, I unraveled one of the scrolls, reading the first few lines my eyes widened in shock, they were Fuinjutsu scrolls. Skimming through the pages, I gathered that the scrolls in my hands detailed the basics of sealing, how certain inks and papers worked well, but how other mediums could work just as well depending on how skilled the person attempting to use Fuinjutsu was.

In my past life I had been trying to get degrees in Biochemistry and Engineering, I'd had dreams of becoming a Bio-engineer. But sealing, sealing was just like it. Certain aspects had to have certain amounts of Chakra, certain designs, pinpoint accurate lines and I could almost cry. It was so similar. Without another thought I grabbed the other scrolls, quickly opening and closing them.

Once I'd gathered all the scrolls detailing Fuinjutsu, I unashamedly brought them all to the Chūnin guarding the library. He raised a single eyebrow when he saw the amount of scrolls I'd brought to him. Inwardly I was impressed, I'd never managed to learn how to raise one eyebrow without the other, "Alright, return them in… " his eyes flickered down to the papers on the desk then to the amount of scrolls I'd brought him, there must have been at least 15 there, "3 months."

Nodding, I collected them all, pressing them to my chest.

Leaving the library, I was surprised to see Obaa-san grinning at me. Blinking at her from across the Academy's courtyard I didn't notice the presence behind me until it was too late.

"Riko-chan!" A painfully familiar voice pierced my ears, so loud it almost hurt. Strong arms lifted me up and threw me around to face their owner.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and my lips trembled, "T-tou-san…?" My father grinned up at me, face set in a wide smile. His eyes roamed over my face, and catching sight of the tears that started running down my face his own tears started to gather.

"Tadaima, Riko-chan," his voice was soft now, a stark contrast to his first shout. I threw my arms around his neck and started to cry in full. I didn't care that he smelt like sweat and dirt, I didn't care that we were causing a scene, I didn't care that I could feel his own tears soaking my clothes and I didn't care that he was holding me in a way that was just shy of painful.

My Tou-san was back.

* * *

Dinner that night was filled with loud laughter and smiling faces. Obaa-san had made Tou-san's favourite dish, Nikujaga, with a side of Yakiniku and Tonkatsu, my own favourites. Tou-san's booming laughter filled the house that had seemed so cold and large with his presence and for the first time in a while, all was right in the world.

"So, Riko-chan, you started in the Academy while I was gone?" A wolfish grin crossed his face and my own appeared to meet his, "Yes, Tou-san! I'm in a class with Shouji and our Sensei is… " We talked until the moon hung high in the sky and then for a bit more. I only realised the passage of time when I yawned wide enough to crack my jaw, rubbing at my eyes, I barely heard a whispered, "So cute!"

Strong arms cradled my tiny body as Tou-san carried me to my room. It was messy and for the first time I felt embarrassed about it, scrolls were gathered all over the room, some half open and my own notes were written down everywhere. "Maa, maa, Riko-chan, you've been very busy while I was gone," I hummed in agreement and he set me down on my bed.

Gentle hands stroked my face as I drifted off, "… I missed you, Mariko-chan," his soothing voice rocked me off to sleep and I was out like a light.

* * *

As much as I'd wanted to stay with my Tou-san, I still had to go to the Academy the next day. A fact that I very much hated. I was dead tired, it seemed I'd stayed up far later than I wanted and was now paying the price for it.

I groaned when Obaa-san woke me up the next morning, laughing as she heard my muffled insults. However, upon seeing Tou-san sitting at the kotatsu table when I entered the living area was enough to distract me from the headache settling into my skull.

"Tou-san! You're here!" A fond chuckle echoed through the room and he ruffled my hair, a scowl twisted my mouth, but from the snicker I take it, it looked more like a pout, "Of course, I'm here, Riko-chan, did you forget last night?"

"No! It's just… you've been gone for a long time… " gaze warming he pulled me into a warm hug, "I'm sorry, Riko-chan, but I'm back now… so smile, please," adhering to his wishes, a teary smile lit up my face.

Breakfast was far quieter then dinner last night, the morning filled with quiet chatter instead. Before I knew it, my morning stretches were done and me and Tou-san were on our way to the Academy.

Walking to school with my Tou-san was an experience… as soon as we arrived he treated it like it was my first day all over again… except he was the child and I was the parent in this situation. Yeah. Not my cup of tea. My face went red as Tou-san continued his weepy mood until we were on the doorstep of the academy.

"Tou-san…!"

"B-but Riko-chan!"

"Tou-san! I have to go! Class is starting soon!"

"Aaah! Riko-chan, you're growing up too fast!"

"No I'm not!"

"I want baby Riko-chan back!"

"TOU-SAN!"

Just getting into the Academy was an ordeal and a half. When we finally, _finally_ arrived at the classroom's door, I was able to escape his hold. Just as I was about to enter the room, he knelt down, face tilted into a soft smile, "Mariko, I'm proud of you." Again tears rose in my eyes and my face went red, my stomach tingling, "… Thank you, Tou-san… I love you… "

Emotional moment over and done with I hastily stepped into the classroom and shut the door in his face. Unfortunately the door was not soundproof.

"RIKO-CHAN! TOU-SAN LOVES YOU TOO!"

Refusing to look anyone in the eye, I marched up to my chosen seat, hoping against hope that my Shirai would refrain from commenting on my over-emotional Tou-san.

"… So… Riko-chan, huh?"

I slammed my head into the desk.

* * *

My interest in the Fuinjutsu scrolls hadn't waned, and when I'd asked Tou-san if the Inuzuka had any scrolls on the subject, he had gotten a sad glimmer in his eyes before saying he'd ask Tsume-san about it.

The scrolls themselves were exceedingly interesting, Fuinjutsu it seemed, used what amounted to the basics of Chakra to essentially cast Jutsu with only a pulse of Chakra, it could be put on a loop, it could have a timer. It was everything I'd ever wanted since I'd gotten this new chance at life.

A challenge.

In short, I was in love.

I learnt the basics of Chakra when I was 4, the Clan's training had provided that much to me, but the basics of Fuinjutsu? Man, if I thought that the basics I'd be able to cover before graduating, I was dead wrong, this shit was dangerous and by Tou-san and Obaa-sans stern lecturing about not trying seals without their explicit approval I could tell that this was going to be dangerous.

While my handwriting wasn't exactly the best, it was legible, which was more than could be said of some of my other clan-members. It took 2 months of preparation before I was able to draw a storage seal that didn't explode immediately after I'd drawn it, another 3 before I was capable of making a functioning one and another 2 after that before I had mastered it.

7 months it took. As I went through the process I recorded it. Jotted down ideas about how to implement them in different ways, perhaps creating a vacuum through seals, it would have to be multi-layered, one to paralyse the opponent, another to create the barrier, one more to drain the air, and a final one to stabilise it all and make sure it continued until they had suffocated and/or passed out.

I was putting them on the back-burner, as I'd realised that with time, it was likely most of the memories I had of the Naruto series would fade, so… I wrote it all down. In English mind you, even if it were discovered, it would take them a while to crack the entire language. To be careful I used as many shortenings of words I could, no need to make it easier if someone did find it. So I wrote down everything I could remember, every plot-point, every character, every villain. I'm sure I missed some, but most is better than nothing, right?

I'd made the storage seal under a loose floorboard in my room, for weeks afterwards I was slightly paranoid about it. Though after a month came and went I calmed down about it.

My birthday came and went with little fanfare, Tou-san had gotten me a full Kunai and Shuriken set, with additional Ninja-wire that he promised he'd teach me to use, and Obaa-san got me a proper calligraphy set. I was in love with both of them.

As the year came to a close I was offered the chance to graduate early. I'd tried to ask Tou-san and Obaa-san about it but they both said the same thing.

'Mariko-chan, if you want to graduate now. You can. I won't stop you. But know that it's your decision. I can't make it for you.' Even now the words whirled around in my mind. This was a big step. If I decided to go through with this, there would be absolutely no turning back.

… It didn't help that at heart I was a coward. Everything I'd done so far had been for my own benefit. I'd decided to train so that I would be safe. But… in the time I'd been here I'd grown to care for my family. For my Tou-san who tried so hard so comfort me when I'd been inconsolable, my Obaa-san who'd looked after me, even though it was clear she held no love for my mother. For Shirai, who would complain to me about how boring the lessons were, claiming that I wasn't as troublesome as the rest of the class. And my mother. The mother I hadn't seen in so long but still loved with a terrible, desperate longing.

And I realised that I couldn't not try to protect these people. They weren't perfect, like the family I'd conjured up when I was truly young, but they were human. Perfectly imperfect to me. And I was terribly fond of all of them, I couldn't stand by while these precious people would fight and die for this terrible, beautiful world.

So I made my choice.

Word Count: 1945

* * *

 **So things are speeding up, as most people have voted for her to apprenticed by a Canon character to Apprentice her, I'll make another Poll on my profile about which Canon character you want her to be apprenticed by, I accept PM suggestions as well, so don't be afraid to message me directly about who you think she should apprentice with.**

 **As always, please review and have a wonderful day! ~ Sytry**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

The first thing I noticed when I'd walked into the classroom that morning was my soon-to-be-former Sensei's expression. His face was pinched and his brows were furrowed, he was worried. About what, I didn't know.

It was only as I had completed the exam, holding the Hitai-ate in my too-small hands that I realised.

He was worried about me.

I was a child. Barely 6 years old and trained to be a cold-hearted killer. A murderer. A Shinobi.

Perhaps that's why I smiled at him. Not the feral smirk I wore whenever I defeated someone in a Taijutsu match. Not the wide grin that I gave my Tou-san and Obaa-san. But a proper smile. A little broken, a little sad.

But filled with determination.

* * *

Tou-san was waiting for me when I left the academy. Hitai-ate firmly held between my hands, "Tou-san! I did it!" I threw myself into his arms, pulling a good-natured 'Ooomph!' Out of Tou-san as he let me headbutt his stomach.

Laughing, he lifted me into the air, "I knew you could do it, Riko-chan! Never doubted you!" Obaa-san snorted, smacking Tou-san upside the head, "Like hell you didn't! 'Oh no! My little Riko-chan! Kaa-san! What if she fails?!'" Shooting Tou-san a betrayed look, I started playfully hitting his arms.

"Tou-san! Did you doubt me?! How could you?!"

Cowering, he held me as far away from him as possible, "I'm sorry, Riko-chan!" An irritated huff left my mouth and I blew my bangs out of my face, crossing my arms in front of myself I pouted up at him.

"Ack! Riko-chan! Tou-chan's sorry! Please forgive me!" Practically groveling he begged my forgiveness, "Tou-chan didn't mean to doubt you!"

Glancing away from him, "You have to earn forgiveness, Tou-san." His eyes brightened with hope, "I want Gyoza."

He deflated like a balloon, "Riko-chan… are you sure we can't-"

"No-Tou-san! I want Gyoza!" Tears streamed down his face, and he started muttering, Obaa-san's cackling certainly made things better.

'My wallet…"

"You always eat so much…"

"MY WALLET…!"

Glancing at my sobbing Tou-san, a smile twisted my lips. Things weren't perfect. But for now. For now they were good.

* * *

The next morning I stared at myself in the mirror. A child stared back at me. Unlike my Tou-san and my Obaa-san I didn't have the classic wild brown hair of the Inuzuka clan, instead it was black and straight, easy to tame. Similar to my mother, from what hazy memories I still had of her.

Frowning, I pressed my fingers against the cheeks of my reflection. I didn't have the clan-markings.

Another thing that made me different. I'd always known that I wasn't really considered much of an Inuzuka by the clan. Open they may be… but the clan wars left memories.

I glanced at the new Kunoichi outfit that Obaa-san had gifted me, she had told me that now that I wasn't an academy brat, I had to at least look the part of a kunoichi.

She knew me well. The outfit consisted of the classic black shinobi pants, mesh under armour and a t-shirt with the Inuzuka symbol on it. I understood what she meant by it.

Even if the rest of the clan didn't want to acknowledge it, she would Always consider me an Inuzuka. Family. I refuse to admit that tears welled up in my eyes at the realisation.

Tou-san had gifted me with gloves, well they were kind of gloves. They stretched up to my elbows and had metal plating covering my forearms and the backs of my hands. A sad smile had come onto his face when he'd seen me wear them.

Glancing at myself in the mirror I awkwardly tried to style my hair into something practical. My hair was one of the things that I was irrefutably proud of, it was just like my mother's, long, silky and it reached my upper back. Not very practical I'll admit, but I loved it's length.

Even if Obaa-san kept nagging me about how someone would try to use it against me.

The door slid open and Tou-san's slipped into the room, "Hey Riko-chan! How are you feeling?" A soft smile had crept onto his face as he saw me turn towards him, lips twisted into a frown.

"Tou-san, what do you think I should do with my hair?" A chuckle left his mouth and he teased, "Maa, maa, Riko-chan… if it's causing you so much trouble, why not just cut it off?"

A full-blown laugh left him at the affronted look I gave him. I 'hrmmphed!' and turned away from him, pout in full affect as I glared at something in the distance.

"Now, now, Riko-chan, I didn't mean anything by it… I actually wanted to give you this…"

His hand slowly uncurled, revealing a simple Kanzashi. It was a simple wood-carving, delicate designs carved painstakingly into it. Reverently I reached out for it, giving Tou-san a questioning look that he smiled at before he gently turned my around, fiddling with my hair for a few minutes, before delicately inserting the Kanzashi into my hair.

"..." I was speechless. My hair was pulled into a messy bun, but it… it suited me.

"Now, Riko-chan, this Kanzashi once belonged to your Okaa-san." His voice was soft, as though not to startle me. I knew he didn't like to talk about her, something of a taboo topic in our family, "The tip has a small capsule that hold poison… it's designed to break apart when you stab them with it."

I glanced at him with worried eyes, poison?! I'd never done any resistance training with poison!

He laughed slightly and gently massaged my shoulders, relaxing them, "Riko-chan, do you have no faith in you Tou-chan? It's a poison that doesn't affect Inuzuka! It's in the stuff we eat semi-regularly! I'm not that irresponsible!"

A fixed him with the flattest look I could muster. This was news to me, I hadn't even known that the Inuzuka had their own poisons. The more you know I guess.

We stood together, before the mirror, and it was there that I could spot all the similarities in our features. I'd inherited his sharp, defined nose, his cheekbones and his eye-shape.

Raising my gaze to meet his we walked out of the room with purpose in our stride. Breakfast was quiet, Obaa-san had gotten quite drunk the night before so we had to keep quiet or risk her ire. A shudder ran down my spine at the very thought.

Nothing was worth Obaa-san's wrath.

* * *

"Riko-chan, I have something to tell you." He hesitated. That was alarming. Tou-san was bright and cheerful and right-up-in-your-face. He wasn't hesitant. It just wasn't him. "I have another mission… It'll last a long time…"

His was frowning, eyes refusing to meet mine. "I'm sorry, Riko-chan, but I can't stay in Konoha for much longer… I know that you wanted to spend more time together but…" I turned around and dug my hands into his waist. "I know… " A shaky breath, "I know."

My voice was small when I spoke again, "… When do you leave…?" His grip on me tightened.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

Walking towards the Academy, Hitai-ate tied around my forehead was… interesting to say the least. Some civilians were whispering about the Hitai-ate I wore proudly, others pointing at my Tou-san's cheeks, his distinctive clan markings, marking him as an Inuzuka, then my own cheeks. Distinctively lacking the oh, so obvious marks.

I forced my attention away from them. It was none of their business anyway.

I left my Tou-san at the gate of the Academy gates. I had to prove myself now, Tou-san couldn't hold my hand anymore.

Before I'd been able to make my escape into the Academy Tou-san had knelt before me, his eyes scanning my own, making sure I was alright one last time.

"Riko-chan…" His voice was serious as he stared into my eyes. He was sad and worried.

I was his daughter and I was graduating early. Too early some might say.

"Tou-san." My voice was stronger than I thought it would be, "Tou-san. I've made my choice." I smiled at him, my eyes crinkling, "I love you."

His eyes were still worried, but I saw some relief and… longing? In his gaze. "… I know Riko-chan… but don't forget that Tou-chan will always, Always be proud of you." His eyes were determined, willing me to understand this one thing.

My throat felt choked up, and I furiously willed down the tears threatening to swim in my eyes. "I love you Tou-chan."

I almost wanted to die at how over-dramatic this whole thing was. But Tou-san was leaving! He'd told me that he'd have to leave in the morning, but he'd promised to accompany me to the Academy before he left.

Giving me one last kiss on the forehead he smiled at me, "Good luck, Riko-chan!" And he was gone, the only sign of his passing the leaves and wind that he stirred up with his Shunshin.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the Academy grounds.

Well… I've already died once, how hard can this be?

* * *

The answer was hard.

Very Hard.

Entering the classroom, the graduates turned, almost as one to see me. The 6 year old who'd skipped ahead and was now graduating with them. A full 6 years their junior.

Man that must have been aggravating.

Thankfully they deemed gossip better than trying to intimidate me. Even though I was shorter, I was pretty sure I could at least run from them if worse came to worse.

I scanned the room for anyone I recognised. No-one. I was a bit put-out to be honest. It was kinda sad… I didn't know anybody here.

I quietly sat down in a corner, drawing further into my shell. It seemed best to not draw attention.

* * *

If there was one thing I hated having, it was the advanced hearing of an Inuzuka. Hearing the other graduates whispers was doing marvelous things to my temper.

'What the hell is she doing here?'

'Who let this kid in here…?'

'I bet she bribed her way in… look at her… thinking she's so much better than us… '

'Doesn't she know this place is for graduates only…?'

Even though I knew that they had probably never really seen me before… it still hurt to have my skills doubted, though I knew that it would probably continuously happen until I was older.

I belatedly realised how short I was now.

Much. Much later it seemed.

While I was stewing in my own depression over my height, Sensei entered the room, Daiki? Daichi? Something like that yelled for everyone to shut up.

"Alright Brats! You've graduated! That means you're all out of my hair! Now, for team placements! Team One… !" As the names were read out, I got antsier and antsier, the names kept rolling out but my own refused to make an appearance.

As the final students made their ways towards their teammates and their new Jounin-sensei, I walked towards the Chunin-sensei, "Ah… sorry to bother you sensei, but you didn't read out my name…?" Even though I was terrified beyond belief, I managed to make my tone relatively even.

Eyes narrowed, he scrutinised me greatly, then gave a put-upon sigh, "I assume you're Inuzuka, Mariko?" I gave a hesitant nod, "Congratulations kid. You were asked to be apprenticed to one…" He glanced at the papers on his desk, "Gekkō, Hayate."

I stared at him, shock causing me to blink several times up at him, I barely stopped the 'Are you sure?' at the tip of my tongue.

"Ahh, that's me…" An unfamiliar voice stated, tone bored. Whirling I turned to face my new Sensei? Shishou? God I didn't know.

He blinked down at me, his skin was pale and his eyes were dark with heavy bags under them, "You're Haruto-sensei's 'Riko-chan', no?" I nodded, eyes not leaving his.

He coughed a few times before gesturing me to follow him, "Just call me Hayate-shishou, alright?"

Hurrying to catch up with him I replied,

"Hai, Hayate-shishou!"

Word Count: 2018

* * *

 **So new chapter! And we finally get to introduce her to her new Shishou! I've always liked Hayate in the show so I figured I'd have him teach her Kenjutsu. Ah, to reply to your comment SnowCatt, Mariko doesn't really know what to expect of Shinobi, and besides if they think she's being suspicious they might bring her to the Yamanaka's who read minds, it's something she really wants to avoid for obvious reasons.**

 **Either way, I know some of you voted for other choices, but Hayate won by a small margin so he'll be her main Shishou, however that doesn't mean that other characters won't show up and/or be bullied into teaching her useful things.**

 **For any of you who are interested, Haruto is an OC who I've made Hayate's Genin Sensei. I've kinda been a bit lenient with ages so I'll put them down here for those of you who are confused or just plain interested.**

 **Mariko = 6**

 **Hayate = 19**

 **Haruto (Mariko's Dad) = 29**

 **Mariko's Obaa-san = 51**

 **Ah, I think that's everyone that's important so far, If any of you are confused at all, please don't hesitate to ask me questions! I love to answer them!**

 **As always, please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like!**

 **Have a nice day! ~ Sytry**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

I must have made quite the sight, trailing after Hayate-shishou like a lost puppy. Well… I was an Inuzuka… comparing me to a puppy wouldn't be that far off the mark.

"You're rather quiet for an Inuzuka, aren't you?" Hayate-shishou's voice drew me from my thoughts.

Glancing up at him from beneath my bangs, "... That might be because my Okaa-san wasn't an Inuzuka."

His eyes caught mine, black eyes meeting my own silver ones. A faint smirk appeared on his face, "I know."

Trailing down a familiar path I realised where we were heading, Training ground 16. It was a large area, with thick bushes and trees, with occasional small clearings. Perfect for survival exercises.

Turning to face me, Hayate-shishou gestured for me to sit down.  
"So… Mariko-chan, I'm Hayate Gekkō, Tokubetsu Jōnin, I like Kenjutsu, my girlfriend, and… hmmm" humming thoughtfully he appeared to think for a moment, "and my friends, I dislike those who look down on others. My hobbies are practicing Kenjutsu, spending time with my girlfriends and… err… reading…? My dream for the future is to live a long happy life."

Glancing expectantly at me, I looked away. Hayate would die. He would die when Orochimaru would invade the Konoha Chūnin exams. Baki of Sunagakure would kill him.

And I was too much of a coward to do anything about it.

"My name is Mariko Inuzuka, Genin… I like training, fuinjutsu and… dogs." Inwardly I berated myself. An Inuzuka who liked dogs. What a surprise.

Not.

"I dislike… when my Tou-san goes away for a long time. My hobbies are… studying Fuinjutsu and… training, I guess?" Weak. So much for an awe-inspiring introduction.

"My dream for the future…" _prevent Madara from being resurrected and casting the infinite Tsukuyomi? Prevent the 4th Shinobi War?_ Yeah. Right. Like that would fly over well. That was more likely to grant me a one way ticket to T&I.

"My dream for the future… is to become strong. Strong enough to protect my precious people."

There. Straight to the point, honest without giving anything away.

Hayate-shishou grinned down at me, hand ruffling my dark brown locks, "That's a good dream, Mariko-chan."

My cheeks heated up and I glanced away bashfully. "Thanks…"

Straightening, Hayate-shishou lifted me to my feet. "Normally, new Genin have a test to take, but since I asked to teach you, you get to skip out on, lucky you!  
That is until I decide to take on a full team, which probably won't happen."

"As it is, today I want to see a full rundown of your skills so that I know what you need to work one. Understood?"

I gave a sharp nod, "Yes, Hayate-shishou!"

"Now, come at me!"

Jumping backwards, I studied his stance. Loose, unguarded, he wasn't taking me seriously. Not that I expected otherwise, really. He had been a Ninja for longer than I had been alive. Probably. I wasn't sure.

Throwing a handful of Kunai and Shuriken at my opponent, I jumped away, hiding myself in the foliage of the trees nearby. I wasn't going to win this. But that didn't mean I couldn't try.

Attaching explosive tag to some Kunai, I darted back into the clearing, aiming a kick for his head. Blocked. I twisted, attempting to stab him, pulsing chakra into the tag, jumping away before it could explode.

Retreating back into the tree-line I studied the area, no use, the smoke was still too thick. I channeled Chakra into my nose, attempting to find him. There!

My fingers moved quickly, forming hand seals as I launched myself towards his location, **Tsuga**! My body spun, plowing into the tree with a force that I never would've been able to attain in my previous life. The tree shattered into splinters as I slowed, he'd dodged.

Seems I still wasn't up to a good enough speed. "Maa, that was pretty good, Mariko-chan, I didn't know you could do that already." Hayate-shishou drew a kunai, "Come, show me what else you can do."

I could only pull another one, maybe two clan **Tsuga** out, my Chakra stores simply weren't big enough to do anymore at this stage. I would need to time this perfectly.

I grinned ferally, sharp canines making themselves known as I lunged again, fingers hooked into claws.

Taijutsu wasn't my forte, but Hayate-shishou wanted me to show him what I could do. So show him I would.

Hayate-shishou showed that he was very familiar with the Inuzuka style, weaving in and out of the way of my blows, missing by centimetres at most. My brow furrowed as my attack once more failed to connect. What could I do to change this…?

The idea struck me like a lightning bolt, **Tsuga**! It would be exceedingly hard to dodge at this range, the world blurred out of focus as I picked up speed, heading straight for Shishou. There was no way he could dodge.

I slammed into a log.

Except for Kawarimi.

Panting loudly, my eyes flew wildly around, looking for hide or hair of my new teacher.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." A voice spoke directly into my ear, as a Kunai was placed at my throat. "I win, Mariko-chan."

"Yeah…" Man… Tokubetsu Jōnin were something else. Kunai removed from its place at my neck, I let my shoulders sag. That was so tiring, my muscles ached, **Tsuga** wasn't easy on the body, especially a growing body. But it was a useful technique, especially if you were seperated from your ninken.

Wincing slightly, I almost collapsed to the floor, the strain of the day giving my limbs a weakness that was achingly familiar. "Ah… Are you alright, Mariko-chan?" I nodded, "Just tired, Shishou," He shrugged, unconvinced, "If you say so."

"Now, from what I can tell, those techniques you pulled off, they required a lot of Chakra, didn't they?" I nodded, "Well, it might be best for you to become more proficient in less Chakra intensive techniques, you don't need to collapse of Chakra exhaustion, now do you?"

"Your speed could be better, as you are now, you won't win many Taijutsu battles, it'd be best for you to concentrate on your speed and agility. Those could be your advantages, due to your small size." My eye twitched. I was a perfectly acceptable height for a 6 year old. I was average, but I hoped to grow to be tall, in my last life I had been quite tall, capping out at a respectable 182cm, or about 5'9". Rather tall for a woman.

"Everything else can be improved with time, as you grow your Chakra capacity will grow, right now, you're definitely Genin level." A large smile appeared on his face as he helped me up. "Now… how about I treat you to lunch?"

On cue, my stomach let out a large growl.

A blush lit up my cheeks, "That would be nice."

* * *

Hayate-shishou treated me to Yakiniku and walked me to the compound before calling it a day. Arriving home again, I wasn't surprised to see Akimaru and Harumaru making themselves comfortable in the soft breeze that danced across the deck.

I'd been able to take them home a week ago and they were still laying claim to my house. I'd wanted to take them to the Academy, but Obaa-san had told me that it wouldn't be worth it as I would be graduating shortly.

Yeah, I didn't understand her reasoning either, but I didn't want to argue with her, undoubtedly it would take 3 days to convince her and then it really wouldn't have been worth it.

Throwing myself down onto the pillows besides Akimaru, I inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of home surrounding me. The tension drained out of my shoulders and I relaxed, shuffling closer to Akimaru, and the disgruntled whine as Harumaru dragged himself over to me until we were covered with each other. A content sigh left my lips and I snuggled closer to the both of them, their warmth soothing my aching muscles.

A wet nose dug itself into my neck and I let loose a shriek, the unexpected feeling causing me to jump upwards.

And fall. On my face.

Ow.

"What the hell, Harumaru?!" The smug, I knew that look, smug bastard looked at me innocently as he casually rolled onto the spot I'd so graciously warmed up for him.  
Annoying pup. "I'll get you back for this, Haru." My tone was filled with barely restrained rage as I glared at him, silver eyes narrowed in fur.

A dismissive turn of the head was the reply to my promise of retribution. Well I couldn't rightly stand for that, now could I?

Tackling the brown-furred abomination, my hands firmly grasped his coat as I reclaimed my previous spot, of course he chose that moment to slip free and land roughly on my chest, forcing the breath from my body in a wheeze. Not to be outdone, Akimaru joined his brother in forcing me from the coveted pillows.

From there it devolved into an all-out brawl.

That was the sight Obaa-san was treated to when she came home.

Yeah… she wasn't pleased to say the least.

* * *

Training with Hayate-shishou wasn't all that different from my regular training. To be honest, my schedule, while not exactly becoming completely freed, went from having pretty much no breaks to having breaks for hours.

It was… off-putting to say the least. I hadn't really made friends with a lot of people so I didn't really know what I was meant to do.

That… sounds really bad, doesn't it?

God, here I was, an adult in a childs body. And I had absolutely no friends. It was no wonder Itachi and Kakashi turned out the way they did. No friends really puts a damper on the old mental stability.

"Obaa-san… how does one make friends?"

Look I didn't want to ask her but… well all the 'friend's' I'd had had been friends of convenience. Not exactly the greatest starting point for a long-lasting relationship, no?

Obaa-san took a long sip of her tea. Placing the cup down a grin worked itself onto her face, "awww, does my son's darling daughter want someone to play with?" My brow furrowed and I scowled up at her, rising from my relaxed slouch on the floor.

"Whatever you old hag, no point asking you if all you're gonna do is make fun of me."

Her eye twitched and she threw the, now empty, tea cup at me, "I'm not old, you Brat!" Dodging the projectile, I rolled my eyes, "Not old, she says, I'm young, she says." Yes I was acting like a brat, as far as I was concerned I was entitled to it. I'd asked a serious question I'd expected a serious answer.

But this was Obaa-san and she didn't take most things seriously.

 **OMAKE:**

Haruto worried for his daughter. She was a genius, there was no mistaking it, she understood things too quickly for her to be anything but.

He shuddered to think of all the ways this could go wrong. Konoha, as much as he loved his village, he knew it wouldn't hesitate to turn her into a shinobi, no matter how young she was. Look at Hatake, he'd graduated at 5, become Chūnin at 6, and Jounin at 12. He was an impressive Shinobi, but he was broken. Anyone with eyes could see that, Hatake was broken almost beyond repair and he wasn't heading anywhere good.

He didn't want that for his little girl. His daughter. His baby. His child.

But when his darling little Mariko had been called up by the clan-head and asked if she would like to train to become a Shinobi. His heart stopped. And when she'd answered 'yes' his heart had cracked.

Mariko pushed herself so hard, it seemed that everything that she was given didn't present enough of a challenge. And when she'd asked him about graduating early, he couldn't give her a definite answer. He couldn't.

He remembered graduating. He remembered coming back to an empty home, face grim as he surveyed the silent, _l_ _onely_ , rooms. He remembered his first kill, the blood that had stained his hands, the empty stare in the blank eyes of the man he had murdered. He had been 10 when he had made his first kill.

But Mariko, Mariko was only 6. He'd been 4 years older and at war when he'd graduated, it was expected that he would have his first kill at that age. But Mariko… Mariko would have blood staining her hands at a much younger age.

And when his darling Riko-chan came out of the Academy, Hitai-ate clutched firmly in hand. His heart broke. But he saw how nervous she looked, always so perceptive, that one. So he'd played the part of proud father. And when he learned that Hayate-kun would be her Instructor he gave a sigh of relief. He knew he'd give his life to make sure Mariko came back to him.

So yes, Haruto worried for his daughter, but wasn't that what all good father's do?

Word Count: 2187

* * *

 **So here's a new chapter, I know it took a while but I had a lot of trouble with the fight scene, as some recompense have a small Omake!  
Anyway time to answer some questions that I know some of you have!**

So, for SnowCatt, what you said is most likely true, but if someone did find those notes, what's gonna stop a Yamanaka from going through her head and finding all her memories from her past life? That's not something Mariko wants to go through so she's going to be paranoid about it and probably burn them at a later date. 

As for why Akimaru and Harumaru haven't been making appearances until now... I haven't really gotten a chance to flesh out their characters yet, I'll have a chance to do that after I finish all my internals at school, so you all will have to be patient till then, sorry!

For those of you who are confused at the timeline here's where we're at:

 **Mariko 6 years old**

 **Naruto 5 years old**

 **Sasuke 6 years old**

 **Sakura 6 years old**

 **Hayate 19 years old**

 **Kakashi 20 years old**

 **Haruto 29 years old**

 **Obaa-san 51 years old**

 **I hope that clears things up for those of you who were confused at the timeline!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Hayate-shishou pushed me. Hard.

He'd even had me practice more flexibility and agility, more than even the clan techniques demanded. The thing about the Inuzuka clan techniques was that, for all the destruction they could cause, it demanded a great deal of flexibility, and even then there was the possibility of tearing muscles and ligaments. Nothing a little healing Chakra couldn't fix, but there was a reason Inuzuka under the age of 10 didn't get to try clan techniques other than **Tsuga**.

It would take another 3 years before I'd even be considered moderately capable of attempting anything other than standard attacks with her nin-dogs. For all the good that did me whenever I had to spar against Hayate-shishou.

My bruises had bruises. Admittedly, the Kenjutsu that Hayate-shishou had insisted every student of his was going to learn was _really_ cool.

The second day of training *coughcoughgettingtheshitbeatenoutofhercoughcough* he'd measured my arm length and asked my opinion on what range I'd prefer fighting with.

"Uh… close combat? I don't want it getting in the way of my other Taijutsu attacks…?"

"Hmm, so a Wakizashi or a Shaku…? I can work with that, come along my cute little Genin."

The store Hayate-shishou led me to was one I hadn't visited before. Glancing up at the lettering above the door, _Watarase's Weapons_ , it read.

As we entered the door gave a quiet ' _ting_ ' to alert the owner that someone had entered.

"Just a minute!"

Taking the opportunity to glance around the store I approached the kunai and shuriken, all sharpened to an edge. Gently picking a kunai up I tested the weight, perfectly balanced. I threw it up once, twice, "Cut that out, Mariko." Thoroughly chastised I put the kunai back and returned to my Shishou's side.

A burly copper-haired man showed himself shortly after, "Ah, Hayate-kun! You're back, what can I do for you?" Hayate-shishou returned the greeting before gesturing towards me, "Hello to you as well, Kaito-san. I'm actually here for your assistance with a student of mine."

A practiced eye looked over my short form, before a considering hum pierced the silence, "She's short for her age, so something small, do you have any preferences?" Shishou answered the question for me, "Something that doesn't interfere with her taijutsu, she's an inuzuka so she needs something she can drop."

Another hum and the man turned away, picking some swords off the wall and handing them to me, "Test their weight, is it comfortable" A few minutes of shaking and nodding my head periodically as I was asked questions about the comfort of the blades in my hand, as well as numerous corrections to my grasp of the blade, and we were gone. Hayate-shishou payed for the blade but he told me that I'd be buying it myself if I broke it.

There was also the fact that he'd told me that I wouldn't be carrying it around at all until he deemed me ready for the responsibility that came with carrying around a blade.

And that's how I'd ended up with a Bokken strapped to my back. Thankfully the outfit that Obaa-san had helped me with didn't need to be changed, the Bokken simply made me seem more ready, prepared for the world than anything else.

The Wakizashi that Hayate-shishou had bought me would remain in my home, until the time came that Hayate-shishou deemed me ready. Which would probably be a while yet. But I was in no rush, nothing big would happen until Naruto graduated which would be at least 6 years more. Plenty of time to become at least proficient in wielding a sword.

* * *

The next morning the suicide of Shunshin no Shisui was announced.

Not even a week later the Uchiha massacre took place. A clan of over 300 people were massacred in one night by Uchiha Itachi. He'd cracked, gone insane, they said, had murdered his clan and left none but his little brother alive.

'Course that was the official story. I knew that Shisui had been murdered. Killed by Danzo, not Itachi. Sure Shisui had died in front of Itachi to help him gain the Mangekyō Sharingan, but ultimately, it wasn't Itachi's fault that Shisui had died.

I… I wasn't sure what to feel about what had happened. Obviously I was horrified, but… I'd never really talked to an Uchiha in Konoha… they were very insular and the only sight I'd ever seen of them was the Police officers who patrolled the markets.

I'd never connected with them.

I wasn't like Naruto. I couldn't look at a group and decide that I would protect them within 5 minutes of knowing one member. I was… I guess more practical with who I would and wouldn't protect. Konoha was my home and I would defend it like I was supposed to, but… the people I cared about. They would always come first. No matter what.

I guess that's why I'd never be able to be Hokage… or much of a leader to a large group where I didn't _know_ them, I wouldn't be able to sacrifice the people I loved for the sake of people I didn't know.

Baa-chan held me tightly that night.

* * *

Itachi's little murder fest had consequences.

I mean of course they had consequences, for one the murder of an entire clan that put the village on edge for months. But I'm talking about the consequences that directly affected me. All those who'd graduated early were to have a mandatory psych evaluation.

I suppose I should be grateful that if I failed I'd only be sent back to the Academy for a few more years. At least I hoped that's what would happen.

Surprisingly… or I guess unsurprisingly for my Baa-chan and Shishou, I passed with flying colours, though apparently I should try to be less anti-social. I guess the fact that I tried at all to make friends in my short tenure at the Academy spoke for itself.

Speaking of which, because of the sudden lack of many capable Chūnin, Tokubetsu Jōnin and Jōnin, Hayate-shishou had been called out to make up for the loss of manpower. So I'd been pulled into doing several D-ranks with members of the Genin corps, who were placed in charge of Academy students.

Great.

I'd been paired with one Kaora Tsubaki and Takeshi Akiyama in charge of class 3A. Both of them were civilian-born, and seemed very friendly. Unfortunately with the latest reminder of a prodigy going insane, they were, understandably wary.

Of course things got worse when I actually had to corral the kids into doing D-ranks.

Let me tell you now. D-ranks absolutely suck. It's all the chores that people don't want to do, weeding gardens, picking up trash, finding miscellaneous items and everything else that you could possibly imagine being the most boring thing on this planet.

Not to mention the fact that I had to give orders to people, children, who didn't respect me on the basis of my age. Goddamn I must of pissed off a god to have to deal with this.

Thankfully I only had to deal with a third of the class, the rest under the command of the much older Genin. Class 3A had 21 students in it, so we were separated into 3 groups at the start of the day by a Chūnin before said Chūnin left for a seperate mission.

"Minazuki-sensei! Why do we have to listen to a kid?!" Geez. Like he could say much. He was only a few years older than me! The sensei, a bright-eyed brunette glared down at the offending student, "How many times have I told you, Tamaki! Inuzuka-san is already a Genin! She'll be watching over you as you complete these missions!" Said offended student was one Tamaki Yamamoto, an 11 year old Academy student who didn't seem to understand how me, a short 6 year old was already a Genin when he wasn't.

"But, she's a kid!" Tamaki couldn't seem to understand that Minazuki-sensei could really do without his cheek right now, "Tamaki!" Her voice was sharp and quietly furious, deciding to nip this in the bud, I interjected, "Tamaki-san, I understand that it must be grating to be in this position, but it is best if we complete the mission," I glanced at the small stack of tasks assigned to the class and amended, "Missions as quickly as possible."

Tamaki frowned, but he couldn't exactly afford to be seen as the immature side of this fiasco, more so than he already was, that is. A short nod before he stormed back to his friend's side, who, of course immediately started glaring at me.

This was going to be a long day.

Minazuki-sensei turned to me, her eyes conveying her relief at my mediation, "Thank you Inuzuka-san, I have to go now, but do be careful." And oh, how strange it was that I was referred to as 'Inuzuka-san' instead of 'Inuzuka-chan,' or even 'Mariko-chan.' It really put into perspective what my life was going to be like now, no longer was I 'child-chan' now I was 'fellow shinobi-san.'

Another, not so subtle reminder that this world was very, very different from my last world.

Nodding seriously, I bid her farewell before turning to the small group of 11 year olds. All 7 of them stared at me and I could feel the judgemental stares coming from them, and the silent questions so similar to the ones I'd heard the last time I'd been here.

I grabbed the fear that was building in my stomach and shoved it down. I was a shinobi, a genin. I would not be intimidated by a bunch of Academy students. I refused. I had some pride in myself, thank you very much.

"Team C, you will be coming with me to," I read through the first mission scroll, "To weed Moriyaki-san's garden, then we will babysit Tanaka-san's children, and then we will go on to collect trash near the naka river." I glanced up at the older children, "After that we will be helping out in the hospital, and finally we will be walking the Inuzuka's dogs." A quiet murmur of assent and we were off.

As said before, D-ranks were the worst.

What was even worse was the complete disrespect being shown to me by one Tamaki Yamamoto. I could understand that it rankled his ego to be ordered around by a 6 year old, however, what I couldn't accept was his complete refusal to even attempt to speak to me in a civil tone.

He continuously disregarded the orders I gave him, the simplest instructions and he found a way to turn it against me. It was tiring to say the least.

Being an Inuzuka gave me extraordinarily sharp senses, my sense of smell being far stronger than a regular human, even a fellow shinobi. Tamaki, for some reason or another, decided to use this against me in an attempt to ease his bruised ego. He'd very, very deliberately tried to lead us through the worst-smelling parts of Konoha.

For example, the fish-market. I. Hated. The. Smell. Of. Fish.

Now, cooked fish I could deal with, it even tasted nice on occasion. But freshly gutted and scaled fish. No thank you. Just, no.

Of course, what also didn't help was his very clear declaration after we'd finished babysitting, "I'm not going to do what you tell me to, anymore." I blinked. Did he just? My gaze flattened, and I smiled with too many teeth to be friendly, "Tamaki-san. You seem to labouring under the misconception that because of your age you hold superiority over me." I stepped forward and was gratified to see that my words had given him pause.

"Right now, I am team-leader. Do you know what that means?" I paused, "That means that for the duration of our time together, you will be doing what I tell you to do. The village cannot afford for a team to be…" Again I paused, looking for the words to make the idea I wanted to get across make sense, "Incompatible, at the moment. Therefore I would appreciate you to stop deliberately sabotaging the missions that we have."

I looked at him in the eye, Silver meeting his green, "So… Truce?" God, how lame, "Truce." He grunted back at me, looking away. It seemed he'd at least try to stop being so antagonising.

Success!

* * *

The rest of the week passed in quick succession. Tamaki and I would never get along, it seemed. Though, thankfully the outright resentment he'd shown was hidden. Obvious if you looked for, but hidden at least.

Finishing the last mission of the day, I bid them all farewell and jumped onto the nearest roof. Roof hopping was amazing, the wind in my ears and the sheer freedom I felt was breathtaking, I assumed that the awe would fade with time, but for now I just enjoyed it.

Arriving back at the compound, I dropped to the ground and nodded at the on-duty clansmen, Kouga Inuzuka was a laid-back guy, a career Chūnin he was assigned to guard the compound, no one wanted an Itachi from their clan.

"How was your day, Mariko-chan?" I startled. No one really talked to me in the clan, and I ended up staring at him in shock a few seconds too long to be polite before I pulled myself back together.

"It… was alright, Kouga-san," I trailed off awkwardly, and was so thankful when he didn't point out my incompetence with social interaction, "Maa, Mariko-chan, no need to call me 'san,' just call me Kouga." A toothy grin took up half his face, and his nin-ken barked in agreement.

I tentatively smiled back, "Alright, Kouga." He ruffled my hair as I walked past, "If you need some help with anything Mariko-chan, don't hesitate to ask, alright? We're clan, so we help each other, got it?" I nodded, a much bashful grin lighting up my face, "Got it."

My chest felt warm, and it… it was nice, to be acknowledged as part of the clan. To so clearly be claimed as one of theirs.

As I walked into my house, the feeling was quick to leech away, leaving an eerily familiar cold in my chest. The house was practically silent. That wasn't right. The house was never silent, there was always noise here, either Akimaru and Harumaru whining and barking, or Obaa-san walking around cooking at this hour. It was silent.

There was a note on the dining table and I padded over to take a look, ' _Brat, away on a mission. Kouga and co will look after you while I'm gone. Take care. - Obaa-san. P.S. Akimaru and Harumaru are with Kouga and co._ ' Well, that explained why Kouga had told me to ask him for help if I needed it.

I gazed around the empty room for a while, it was… very different to what it was usually like, and I… I didn't like it. It wasn't home without Obaa-san, without Tou-san. With their presence missing, the house wasn't a home.

A knock on the front of the door alerted me to another person on the property. Opening the door, it was Kouga, "Hey, Mariko-chan," Nodding to the note in my hand, "I guess you got your Obaa-san's note, you'll be living with me and my sibling for a bit, till things cool down." I glanced back into the darkened hallway, "I'll… get my things then."

I walked back into the house, "You can come in, if you want," Kouga nodded, following me inside. Walked into the living room, "I'll wait here, you go grab your stuff." Nodding I went and did just that. I hesitated for a moment, before leaving with him.

Dinner was a quiet affair, it was only me and Kouga in a too-big house. I guess it had to be big if it kept Kouga and his siblings together. While we ate, Kouga told me about his siblings, there was Arashi, who was, as the name implied, a very volatile person who loved his family, Tsumiko, who was far more gentle in her love, and finally himself. All 3 of them had lived together since their parents had passed in the Third Shinobi War.

Just before I went to bed, he'd squeezed my shoulder, a serious look crossing his features, "Don't worry too much about your family, Mariko-chan," He'd told me, "You Tou-san and Obaa-san are strong, they'll come back," He grinned then, "After all, they've got you to come back to you."

Kouga was nice. Far nicer than I'd first given him credit for.

I still missed Tou-san and Obaa-san.

* * *

Kouga was good company, he drew me into conversation about certain things and helped me learn to communicate better with my Ninken. Akimaru and Harumaru were incorporated into my attacks and he helped me understand the basics of the techniques I'd learn once my body grew enough to handle them properly.

He understood that I had trouble connecting with people my own age, and he helped me with social interactions. He... he never made me feel judged by my incompetence with actually speaking to people outside of missions, he helped me differentiate Inuzuka body language and normal Shinobi body language so that I'd be able to not completely misread a room because I'd mistaken X for Y.

Without fail we'd eat together each night, and each night I'd grow a little bit closer to the clan that I had previously dismissed as uncaring towards me. He showed me how they did care, and he helped me learn how to react to their care in a way they'd understand from one of their own.

Because I was, one of their own that is. Inuzuka were different from the other clans, they were far more entwined with their canine side and thus had different ways of reacting to certain things, I hadn't known that and my previous misconceptions were corrected and my terms with the clan improved incredibly.

It was on a lazy day, the first in about a month that I'd realised, relaxing in the sun, with Akimaru, Harumaru, and a few other members of the clan, that I realised why they were acting in the way they were.

They didn't want another Itachi. The village didn't want another Itachi. So of course they would try to connect with the latest Prodigy, the latest genius. A way to keep a leash on somebody. A way to keep a leash on me.

After all, why would a prodigy go insane if they had friends, solid ties that would bind them ever closer to the village?

It was a method, a way to see if their newest prodigy was going to go insane.

It hurt to realise this... but I really should have seen it coming. Konoha, for all it put up the front of being the nicest Shinobi village, was still, at heart, a Shinobi Village. Why else would the people who had always called me different, strange, separate have a complete change in attitude towards me?  
Everything was so clear when you put it into perspective.

I didn't turn them away, but I became noticeably colder. My smiles became less... real, and more fake.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. I wanted to shout about how, how cruel they were being, how hypocritical. But I couldn't.

Konoha wasn't a nice place.

And as I held in the screams and bore the quiet accusations, I thought, 'Lesson learned, Konoha. Lesson Learned.'

* * *

 **So, new chapter, sorry it took longer than usual, I had a bit of trouble remembering who was who so I had to re-read the previous chapters a bit.**

 **Anyway! The story has finally hit a little bit of Canon that affects Mariko in a way we can see her react to!  
Sorry to those of you who wanted her to do something about the massacre! But Mariko is only a newly-minted genin, she can't exactly do much about something that has been years in the making!**

 **As always, Have a great day! ~ Sytry**

 **(I don't own Naruto, it's the property of Masashi Kishimoto.)**


	11. Authors Note Please Read

Hi everyone. I'm sorry this fic hasn't been updated in a while. But on my last chapter I received a... how shall I put it. Kind of rude? review.

I understand that some people don't like how some characters react to certain events, but I wrote this fic for my own enjoyment. If you don't like that then you don't have to read it. And if you have to comment on it, please don't be so rude about it. I won't name any names but what you said has put me off finishing, or even working on the next chapter of this fic.

As it stands I'm probably going to put this fic on Hiatus for a long while.

I'll be honest, the review kind of killed any excitement or wish to write a new chapter for it.

I'm still open to discussion about this fic, but for now please consider this fic to be on Hiatus.


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